“There were some big performances out there against Boro.” “But you can’t forget about Michael. He also put in a shift without much success.”

“He was always a threat with his pace running behind. He had a couple of half-chances and would have gone on to get something if he hadn’t have been brought down on one occasion.”

“He worked his socks off.” “The lads who got the goals will get the headlines. But there were some big performances out there.”

Michael had one great effort with a glancing header from a Mark Viuduka cross that had Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones, brilliantly tipping the ball over the bar, in the first half. The number of times Michael gets headers in is quite amazing, given he’s not that tall.

And before the game on Monday night Newcastle had two points and just one goal in 5 games under Sharer, but then in one game we got all 3 points and 3 goals, and with a little luck near the end with Andy Carroll, we could have had even more goals.

We hope we’ll see some more goals from the lads on Saturday because out fate is till in the balance. If Hull win or draw at Bolton and we lose against Fulham we’ll be 3rd bottom again, with just one game to go. We have to remember that for Saturday’s game.

All 3 goals on Monday night for Newcastle we thought were good goals, but Alan is not worried about what they look like,as loong as they go in. Alan sounds like a former striker to us.

Alan said today:

“I’m not really bothered how they go in.” “They went in and it was a great feeling. It was a feeling that we deserved.”

“We would have been robbed if we hadn’t come away with three points after that performance.” “When you look at the amount of effort and the amount of chances it was magnificent.”

Alan’s right – and we need two more performances like that to end our season – starting with a great performance against Fulham and 3 points on Saturday – then we can really celebrate.

I think he did a decent job and made some good efforts on goal. Made the keeper work once and had a few crosses that could have been turned on. That being said I still don’t think we should keep him around next year unless he is willing to take a pay cut. The new contract should have better terms for us than the last one we offered him. He rejected that and has done nothing to deserve anything better.

I’d like to see us get rid of Owen, Barton, Ameobi, Geremi, Capaca, Edgar and Smith. Viduka can stay on a pay as you play contract but should be teaching the young lads as well.

Next year I’d think we need

Harper/Krul

Beye…..Taylor….Bassong….Enrique Taylor…..Collo…..xxxxx…..xxxxxxx

Jonas……Nolan…..Guthrie……..Duff xxxxxx…xxxxxxx….Butt…….xxxxxxx

……………..Martins……..Viduka ……………..Carroll……..Ranger

I’d like to see us make a grab for Darren Bent as I think he would be a good replacement for Owen and has similar qualities to Martins. He has proven himself in the english game and scores ten a season easy and thats generally off the bench. Carroll will be good if dukes can’t play which lets face it will be most of the time but I’d hope the two would be working together one on one in training.

A “Kings new clothes”comment from Alan I fear M.O.redeeming feature is long gone ie his pace without his pace he struggles as was plain for all to see on Monday night.You can fool some of the people……etc etc lezb

All this nonsense about Owen not trying or just avoiding injury as he already has another club lined up is pathetic. He put in a decent shift on Monday just the chances never really fell for him. He might not be the player he was but is still a good finisher, and you can’t fault his commitment. I guess he is an easy target though because of his wages.

Don’t yet count him out for next season if we survive. I think we just gets carried away with a win or defeat. We just need to be patient and see what happens. I think if we survive this season and Alan remains manager, he will obviously look at Owen also. But if he decided to keep him, so be it. Don’t cry if he decides to keep him.

Charlietoon I think we have the core of a half decent squad and with a few additions can start to build next year. I think we could pick up a couple of Boro players on the cheap and spend some cash on a striker. But the real money should be spent strengthening our mid-field who are grafters but pedestrian and lacking in guile. I”d love to get someone like Xabi Alonso from Liverpool but he wouldn’t come to the toon next season.

We FULLY have the makings of a half decent squad. 6 players (bought shrewdly) will see us in the top 6 next season. 3, in the top half. The 3 priorites are a lb to challenge Enrique, a creative center mid and a right wing. After that, the other 3 required would be a new, quality striker, a left winger and a decent understudy for beye at rb, someone with real potential. Jonas for me has recently proved that he is nothing but a good substitute, and as far as I’m concerned Ryan Taylor has no real place in our squad. Nolan I’m now feeling a lot more positive about. Our squad next season that could see us comfortably in the top half:

Obviously there could be some far better buy’s than that, they’re just off the top of my head. One player I would love to see us sign is De La Red from Madrid, huge prospect, massive work-rate and creative flair. Also very young- though could be too light weight for the prem? Apart from that I would love us to get Higuain or Bojan, though neither would happen.

Shearer knew that the smogs ship most goals in the last quarter, and he knew that one of Owen’s talents was as his own: knackering defences by being constantly on the move, even when the ball was nowhere near him.

Trouble is, unless you’re there in person you don’t get to see it. It was the same with Big Al – people would ask what the fuss was all about, because on TV he was off-screen when he did the most damage.

I think that was the plan – send out Owen, if he gets one or two, great – but if not, get the quick boys on with some time to go, and they can get past the people Owen and co have knackered out with their constant darting about. And it worked beautifully.

One more thing: I like Andy Carroll. But if Owen had missed two sitters like that, what would you all be saying about him??

I entirely forgot to include Lua Lua as back up on the right, or even centre. He is overlooked far too often in my opinion. Him, ranger and Vuckic are our most exciting youth prospects, as well as Krul.

“Shearer knew that the smogs ship most goals in the last quarter, and he knew that one of Owen’s talents was as his own: knackering defences by being constantly on the move, even when the ball was nowhere near him.”

That’s very perceptive and astute Whumpie, and it’s one of the two main reasons why I was impressed with Shearer’s performance the other night, in contrast with his other games so far. It could also be said that Martins has similar qualities in that respect, ie at his best he can knacker his opponents by being a right little runaround. I can see you point exactly though, and why Shearer did it the way he did too. Well put.

Well spotted Whumpie most so called football fans spend most of their time ball watching and don’t see the game beyond that. Like as you said unless you are there in person you miss most of what’s happening at a game.

There were loads of time when MO was dropping into midfield to help out and link up and his goals per game is still up there with the best of them.

the only thing i think shearer really needs to wipe out from the smog game before the fulham game for me was the few times we messed about with the ball in defence in our own half and nearly played ourselves in to trouble, i know its not constructive but at the moment with the need to not concede a goal if there is any opposition near we should just wallop the ball downfield. if theres time then obviously play to feet but safety first.

Whumpie… your report on Owen’s shift on Monday has to be the most elaborate smokescreen for an ineffectual performance I have ever witnessed. You forgot to mention that by being off the pace and reliably shoddy with his first touch he lulled the smogs into a false sense of security for when the more mobile strikers came on.

He isn’t a bad player, even now still, but he is a finisher as opposed to the forager he was when we signed him… not much use to a team that produces so little meaningful creative attacking play.

I agree Shearer will probably go with the same line up – and yes bring on the subs a bit earlier.

JamesThefirst… I like that side. Anything which puts Jonas the passenger on the bench is OK with me… I would STILL go for the 4-3-3 though – with loverboy coming off the bench.

As much as I have slagged, still slag, and will continue to slag Owen off, in a top 4 team he would get a fair few goals. His style of play isn’t suitable for us though, we need runners, powerful players, unpredictable, young exciting prospects.

“If Owen scores a hat trick against Fulham everyone will say we should keep him.”

Personally Craig, if Owen scores a hatrick against Fulham, I’ll be delighted because we won, but I’d be devastated if we gave him a new contract.

Wumpy

Owen knackers the defenders out? Um no, there are players like Johnson and Bellamy etc whose movement off the ball may do this, but unfortunately good defenders know Owen no longer has the pace to get in behind them so they just keep a high line. So then Owen drops deep and the just nudge him off the ball because he is weak. Yes, I still think he can finish as a poacher, but there are strikers out there who would offer a lot more for 100k a week. Ps. Shearer cant even be compared to Owen, he was a class apart (scored, hold up play, strength, passing, crossing, heading (although Owen has improved here he’s nowhere near Shearer), and most of all… leadership. Owen just doesnt have it in him… Look if Owen was on 60k a week I’d say keep him (maybe), but he wont take a wage cut and so he should be sold.

Its no good saying if we had a fantastic creative midfield he’d score 15-20 a season. Firstly – Owen has NEVER got 20 in a season – even in his prime with a great midfield at Liverpool – so why would he do it now with lost pace. Besides, on his wages he should be scoring 20-30 a season at least.

if we get past the reslt of mondays game, we had everything in spades apart from skill. blood guts and passion, but we lost possession a hell of a lot in the middle of the park and we were always under the cosh when boro came forward.

it will not help us just by hoofin the ball upfield… it’ll come straight back for our opponents to have another opportunity. if we’ve got the ball, we have to learn to keep it, control the pace of the game and try not to be put on the back foot.

skillwise on monday, very little difference, butt gives it his all but he gives the ball away as soon as he wins it. guthrie did well with his set pieces granted, and nolan battled harder than we’ve seen before, but we need to start controlling the middle of the park, most/all teams walk straight through our midfield its shocking.

our defence was nothing to get too excited about. the amount of times boro’s front man got between or on the wrong side of our CB’s, thats nothing to be proud of.

NUFC is clearly lacking in quality and skill and the few players we have that show glimpses of it are no where near enough to cover the mighty cracks that appear as soon as we run out onto the park.

anyone who thinks just a coupla chnages in the close season will be enough to see us top half is deluded.

as for the remainder of the season, i’m starting to feel that blood guts and passion of mondays calibre might be enough to see us through, but we’ll be going through the same crap next season if some serious shake ups dont happen IMO

League Placement

health update

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 and completed four months of chemotherapy in late July and will continue to have hormone treatment.

The cancer spread in the bones, but after having a number of CATscans last Friday the cancer has been stabilized and as of April 24th, 2018 it has not spread further.

There is no cure for Stage 4 cancer so I will continue to have CATscans and bone scans about every four months to check on the cancer.

It is as it is - I will do my best under the circumstances - it's another challenge.

Ed Harrison

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